How to fix a hole in a latex seal?

[AUTiger]

While installing my dry glove rings, I made a couple of very small holes in one of my latex zip seals. I should have trimmed my fingernails before doing all of that stretching and manipulating.

Is there some kind of goop/glue/epoxy that I can put over the hole to seal it? I am not worried about stiffness, since the hole is near the zip, not in the part that actually seals against my wrist.

Thank you
David

 

[mtbrider]

You should probably replace the seal... But what I've done is clean the area really well and put a dab of aquaseal on each side. After a week of diving with this fix, no leaks, I replaced the seal. I really tugged on the patch to test it and it was quite strong!

 

[JackConnick]

You can try a bicycle tube patch kit. Comes with latex patches and glue. They're quite fast to put on.

Jack

 

[AUTiger]

Thanks for the ideas so far. I did replace the seal with one of my backups, but I want to keep this one as a spare.

Any other ideas?

 

[Peter_C]

Cut the seal off the Zip and put a new one on...

 

[jlovold]

You can try a bicycle tube patch kit. Comes with latex patches and glue. They're quite fast to put on.

Jack

It takes less than five mins (both sides), and you are ready to go diving. Never had a problem with it for the rest of the life of the suit, about 2months of commercial diving. Couldn´t even notice the patch when diving.

 

[Colliam7]

You can try a bicycle tube patch kit. Comes with latex patches and glue. They're quite fast to put on.

Have done this before, on a wrist seal where a hole developed. Works great! Success will depend to a certain extent on the nature of the hole (a discrete hole is easier to fix than a more linear cut, for example) and the location.

 

[Rick Inman]

You can try a bicycle tube patch kit. Comes with latex patches and glue. They're quite fast to put on.

Jack

I put a big hole in a neck seal once, and used the bicycle patch (made a sandwich with one on the outside and one on the inside), and it was still working perfectly when I replaced the seal for other reasons a year later.

Why ask for more ideas when the answer is given?

 

[TSandM]

I got more than a year off a patched wrist seal (tire patch). In fact, it hasn't failed yet, but I have to send the suit in for the biannual neck seal replacement, so I'm going to have them do the wrist seals this time, too.

 

[jlovold]

I got more than a year off a patched wrist seal (tire patch). In fact, it hasn't failed yet, but I have to send the suit in for the biannual neck seal replacement, so I'm going to have them do the wrist seals this time, too.

Bi-annual?

I dive my seals until they burst... And I have never been wet because of a burst seal... They always burst when donning or doffing the suit... And I very rarely rinse my suits. I usually put som soapy water on the latex-seals once every month or so, and add a little talcum a little bit more often...